Maintenance tool

ABSTRACT

A maintenance tool usable by workmen involved in the maintenance of hydraulic systems such as water-line installations for homes and other buildings. The tool is constructed for each valve removal and replacement, and line removal and replacement, without the necessity of shutting off water pressure relative to the main or branch line affected. Flared guide means is employed in the tool for directing water streams centrally of the tool for proper valve or other installations.

United States Patent M'echan [451 Mar. 28, 1972 [54] MAINTENANCE TOOL 2,870,629 1/1959 Willis ..29/213 x [72] Inventor: John L. Mach", H93 Eas 200 N. Orem 1,596,708 8/1926 Bellows ..81/l77 G X Utah 8405 7 Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz [22] Filed; May 15, 1970 Assistant Examiner-Leon Gilden Attorney-M. Ralph Shaffer [21] Appl. No.: 37,624 [57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl ..29/213, 81/1 19 A maintenance tool usable by workmen involved in the main- [51] Int. Cl ..B23p 19/04 tenance of hydraulic systems such as water-line installations [58] Field ofSearch..... ....29/2,l.3;81/1l9, 120, 177 G, for homes and other buildings. The tool is constructed for 81/121 R, 121 A, 121 13 each valve removal and replacement, and line removal and replacement, without the necessity of shutting off water pres- 56] References Cited sure relative to the main or branch line affected. Flared guide UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1909 Hawkins ..8l/l2l R means is employed in the tool for directing water streams centrally of the tool for proper valve or other installations.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented March 28, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. JOHN L. MECHAM HIS ATTORNEY 2 SheetsSheet 2 FIG. 8

v INVENTOR JOHN L. MECHAM FIG.

FIG. 7

H15 ATTORNEY MAINTENANCE TOOL The present invention relates to maintenance tools for hydraulic systems and, more particularly, to a new and improved maintenance tool for artisans employed by municipal water companies, by way of example, which tool is usable for replacing valves, removing broken line stubs, installing branch lines, and so forth.

In the past there has been great difficulty in removing broken lines, line stubs and replacing valves in a minimum amount of time. Generally, water lines will have to be turned off as a preliminary matter. This is time-consuming and will generally affect adjacent buildings and their property owners. Due warning must be given occupants to advise them that the water will be turned off for a certain period of time.

It would be most advantageous to supply a tool for waterline workmen wherein valves may be replaced and other maintenance performed without necessitating the turning off of the main or branch line affected. Such a tool is presented by this invention. The water pressure, indeed, is employed for centering the tool for appropriate valve installation and/or other service.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved maintenance tool usable in hydraulic line installations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hydraulic system maintenance tool wherein valves in such systems can be removed and new valves replaced without the necessity of turning off water pressure in the system.

A further object is to provide a new and improved maintenance tool for water systems wherein the tool is usable for removing broken stub lines valves and performing other maintenance functions.

An additional object is to provide a maintenance tool for water line systems wherein the tool incorporates guide means responsive to the direction of water pressure coming from a line to center the tool and any equipment held thereby, for appropriate re-installation in the system.

The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, principally in section, illustrating a building and water line system connected thereto running from a main line, shown also in section.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the main housing of the tool when the same is laid in horizontal position.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the lines 3-3 in FIG. 2, is rotated 90 in a clockwise direction, and illustrates a clamp device usable in holding valves engagingly disposed therein, or, conversely, provides means for rotation of such valve when the tool housing is rotated.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2, illustrating the lower portion of the valve and the threaded guide recepticle therein.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a representative, flared guide half used in the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates the tool provided with an easy-out type implement, and torquing tool for removing broken stubs or pipe from a main or branch line.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the tool when the same is used to center a new branch line installation relative to a main line.

FIG. 8 illustrates the tool of FIGS. 1-5 as being employed to remove or install a valve.

In FIG. 1 a building 10 is provided with foundation 11 into which is introduced the buildings water-supply line 12. The latter is connected, of course, to a meter box 13. Certain water installations include valves on either side of the meter box. FIG. 1 simply illustrates, by way of example, that a valve 14 is located on the outer side or inlet side of meter box 13. Valve 14 is of an L-configurement the upper extremity of which is provided with a rotatable, threaded valve element 15 which threads down into the interior of the valve to shut off the water, when desired. Line 16 connects to valve 14 in the manner indicated, and its outer extremity includes an elbow 17 connecting to valve 18. Valve 18 is provided with a stub 19 directly threaded into main line 20. It will be understood that main line 20 may, in fact, comprise a branch line of a water system or sub-system. In any event, the line 20 will generally service a series of homes or other buildings.

The present invention is particularly suited for removing and replacing valve 14, or even of removing valve 18 and stub 19 from the main line 20. This will be shown hereinafter.

The elongate housing 21 of the tool is illustrated in FIG. 2. The same includes an elongate handle 22 provided with a sleeve 23 that is threaded or otherwise secured to extremity 24 of the handle. Intermediate section 25 joins handle 22 to an enlarged housing portion 26. Housing portion 26 is provided with a side slot 27 delineating open ares 28. Open area 28 is for the purpose of receiving a valve to be disposed therein for maintenance, or replacement purposes, by way of example. Shoulder 29 provides a stop abutment for clamp device 30. Clamp device 30 includes a noncircular aperture 31 having straight sides 32 which represent, in effect, wrench flats for retaining a valve disposed therein and keying the same to the rotation handle 22. Guide receptacle 32 is interiorly threaded at 33, and set screws 34 are threaded into apertures 35 for retaining in place the guide receptacle 32. Conical or flared guide halves 36 include upper threaded portions 37 and lower flared skirts 38. Guide halves 36 may be fitted together by their mating tongue A and recess B such that the upper portions 37 thereof adjoin, for threaded insertion into guide receptacle 32 in the manner shown in FIG. 6. Clamp device 30 is provided with a threaded aperture 37 which receives the threaded end 38 of L-shaped clamping handle 39. The latter proceeds through the wall aperture 40 of housing portion 26 and threadedly engages clamp device aperture 40' such that the end 41 may engage and retain any valve disposed therein.

The guide receptacle 32 is further illustrated in FIG. 4 and is shown to include a wall slot 41 extending through top portion 42 of the guide receptacle.

FIG. 6 illustrates an easy-out" tool 43 comprising an easyout spike 44 and a collar 45 pinned, bolted, or otherwise secured at 46 thereto. The handle 39 in FIG. 3 may be utilized to lock the easy-out tool 43 in place. The tool of FIG. 6 may be utilized to rotate outwardly the stub of a pipe which has been threaded into main line 20, but broken off by virtue of trench digging or other reasons. Thus, the easy-out spike 44 is inserted in the pipe and, since collar 45 is rectangular, the same fits securely within the socket 32 of FIG. 3; a twisting of the easy-out elongate socket tool T, keyingly engaging the top of easy-out spike 44 as by a ratchet arm (not shown) engaging socket connection C, will easily unscrew the pipe section or stub. Subsequently, a new branch line installation taking the form of valve 47 and pipe 48 may be easily installed at the same threaded aperture 49 of line 20, by the user first implacing the elongate guide pipe 50, having handle 51 and water relief aperture A, through the tool such that the end 52 proceeds into the main line 20. Thereupon the user may simply revolve handle 22 about its own axis so as to thread the threaded end 53 of pipe stub 48 into the threaded aperture 49 of line 20. Subsequent to this operation, the valve 47 is easily turned off and, by loosening handle 39 the tool can be slipped off the new valve and pipe stub installation.

FIG. 8 illustrates the tool as being used for removal or replacement of valve 14in FIG. 1. A keyed handle 54 includes crossbar 55 and elongate shaft or tube 56 provided with end slot 57. This end or key slot 57 is constructed to fit over the valve control 15 of the valve to be removed or the new valve to be replaced. Thus, the handle 54 is effective to turn off the old valve or the new, depending upon the operation involved.

In any event, when it is desired to replace an old valve 15, then the valve is positioned in the manner shown in FIG. 8 and handle 39 is tightened down. At this juncture the T-shaped handle 54 will not be disposed within the elongate housing 31, nor will guide halves 36 be installed. Rather, the user need only twist off the old valve from its installation, since the same is locked in place by handle 39 of clamp device 30. Thus, the valve is easily removed by the tool, in which case water may be squirting upwardly or outwardly in the direction of the tool as the same is being removed from the installation.

Subsequently, a new valve is installed in exactly the same manner as shown in FIG. 8, the conical or flared guide halves now being threaded into the guide receptacle 32 in the manner illustrated. The return of the composite tool of the invention with the new valve and guide halves centers over the stream of water coming up or outwardly such that the stream is directed through the new valve 14 in FIG. 8. This permits easy centering of the tool over the particular pipe through which the water is spurting; hence, an easy centering of the tool is achieved so that the new valve may be easily threaded on to this particular pipe. Rotation by the tool of the valve on its intended pipe accomplishes a threaded engagement of the valve with respect to it, and after the same has been accomplished the keying handle 54 is inserted in the tool such that the lower end thereof, notched at 57, may turn off the valve at operative valve element 15. After this operation is performed the flared guide halves 36 are unthreaded from guide receptacle 32 and separated so that the tool may be withdrawn from the new valve 14 once handle 39 is released.

What is provided, therefore, is a new and improved tool for re-working water installations whether for valve removal or replacement or removing broken stub lines, by way of example.

While particularembodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects.

lclaim:

l. A hydraulic maintenance tool including, in combination, an elongate housing member having an elongate handle and a housing portion integral therewith, said housing portion having a side wall opening and being provided with an interior socket structure for keying, for revolvement purposes, another member to said elongate housing member for revolvement by the latter; separatable, outwardly flared guide means responsive to water stream pressure for centering said flared guide means over an external water stream, said housing portion being provided with means for releasably securing said flared guide means to said elongate housing member.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said flared guide means comprises a pair of opposite guide halves each having outwardly flared skirt portions and upper threaded portions integral therewith, said releasably securing means of said housing portion comprising an internally threaded guide receptacle threadedly receiving said flared guide means, said hydraulic maintenance tool being provided with means for securing said releasably securing means to said elongate housing member at said housing portion.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said interior socket structure comprises a device, having a noncircular opening, secured to and within said housing portion.

4. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said interior socket structure comprises a clamp device disposed interiorly of and medially with respect to said housing portion, said clamp device including manually actuatable means for clamping an exterior part therewithin.

5. Structure according to claim 1 wherein an elongate handle is hollow, said hydraulic maintenance tool also including elongate means provided with a handle, a shaft disposed through said elongate handle, and a fitting for releasably engaging a rotatable part disposed within said housing portion.

6. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said hydraulic maintenance tool includes an easy-out member having an easy-out spike protruding outwardly from said tool and means for retaining said tool within said housin portion.

7. Structure according to claim 6 w erein said hydraulic maintenance tool is provided with elongate means disposed through said handle and keyingly engaging said easy-out member for rotating the latter at a point exterior of said elongate handle.

8. A hydraulic maintenance tool for securing an external valve member onto an external, threaded pipe end through which fluid will be flowing, said hydraulic maintenance tool including, in combination, an elongate housing member having an elongate handle and a housing portion extending therefrom, said housing portion having a side aperture constructed to receive an external valve member and having means for releasably securing said external valve member within said housing portion for revolvement therewith, plural, dependingly flared, hydraulic fluid-stream centering guide segments depending beneath the remainder of said tool, constructed for fitting together, mutually threaded cooperatively at their upper extremities, and dimensioned to fit over an external pipe end having such fluid stream and to which said external valve member is to be connected, said housing portion being provided with means for releasably, threadedly receiving said upper extremities of said flared guide segments.

9. A hydraulic maintenance tool for securing a hydraulic fitting onto an external, threaded pipe through which fluid will be flowing, said hydraulic maintenance tool including, in combination, an elongate housing member having an elongate handle and a housing portion extending therefrom, said housing portion being constructed to receive therewithin and releasably retain for rotation therewith an external hydraulic fitting, plural, dependingly flared, fluid-stream and pipe-end centering guide segments constructed for fitting together, for ultimate disposition over said external pipe end, and mutually threaded cooperatively at their upper extremities, said housing portion being provided with means for releasably, threadedly receiving said upper extremities of said flared guide segments, said guide segments depending beneath the remainder of said maintenance too], said maintenance tool including means for keyingly engaging, for revolvement purposes, said external hydraulic fitting when so disposed within said housing portion.

' UNITED STATES PATENT UFFECE CEHMCATE QHN 3 651,556 Dated March 28 1972 Patent No.

Invent0r(s). John L, Mecham It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Inthe heading [72] "John Lo Mechan" should read John L, Mecham 9 Signed and sealed this 12th day of December 1972. I

( SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionr of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 u.s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I969 o36s-a34,

FORM FO-IOSO (10-69) 

1. A hydraulic maintenance tool including, in combination, an elongate housing member having an elongate handle and a housing portion integral therewith, said housing portion having a side wall opening and being provided with an interior socket structure for keying, for revolvement purposes, another member to said elongate housing member for revolvement by the latter; separatable, outwardly flared guide means responsive to water stream pressure for centering said flared guide means over an external water stream, said housing portion being prOvided with means for releasably securing said flared guide means to said elongate housing member.
 2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said flared guide means comprises a pair of opposite guide halves each having outwardly flared skirt portions and upper threaded portions integral therewith, said releasably securing means of said housing portion comprising an internally threaded guide receptacle threadedly receiving said flared guide means, said hydraulic maintenance tool being provided with means for securing said releasably securing means to said elongate housing member at said housing portion.
 3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said interior socket structure comprises a device, having a non-circular opening, secured to and within said housing portion.
 4. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said interior socket structure comprises a clamp device disposed interiorly of and medially with respect to said housing portion, said clamp device including manually actuatable means for clamping an exterior part therewithin.
 5. Structure according to claim 1 wherein an elongate handle is hollow, said hydraulic maintenance tool also including elongate means provided with a handle, a shaft disposed through said elongate handle, and a fitting for releasably engaging a rotatable part disposed within said housing portion.
 6. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said hydraulic maintenance tool includes an easy-out member having an easy-out spike protruding outwardly from said tool and means for retaining said tool within said housing portion.
 7. Structure according to claim 6 wherein said hydraulic maintenance tool is provided with elongate means disposed through said handle and keyingly engaging said easy-out member for rotating the latter at a point exterior of said elongate handle.
 8. A hydraulic maintenance tool for securing an external valve member onto an external, threaded pipe end through which fluid will be flowing, said hydraulic maintenance tool including, in combination, an elongate housing member having an elongate handle and a housing portion extending therefrom, said housing portion having a side aperture constructed to receive an external valve member and having means for releasably securing said external valve member within said housing portion for revolvement therewith, plural, dependingly flared, hydraulic fluid-stream centering guide segments depending beneath the remainder of said tool, constructed for fitting together, mutually threaded cooperatively at their upper extremities, and dimensioned to fit over an external pipe end having such fluid stream and to which said external valve member is to be connected, said housing portion being provided with means for releasably, threadedly receiving said upper extremities of said flared guide segments.
 9. A hydraulic maintenance tool for secur-ing a hydraulic fitting onto an external, threaded pipe through which fluid will be flowing, said hydraulic maintenance tool including, in combination, an elongate housing member having an elongate handle and a housing portion extending therefrom, said housing portion being constructed to receive therewithin and releasably retain for rotation therewith an external hydraulic fitting, plural, dependingly flared, fluid-stream and pipe-end centering guide segments constructed for fitting together, for ultimate disposition over said external pipe end, and mutually threaded cooperatively at their upper extremities, said housing portion being provided with means for releasably, threadedly receiving said upper extremities of said flared guide segments, said guide segments depending beneath the remainder of said maintenance tool, said maintenance tool including means for keyingly engaging, for revolvement purposes, said external hydraulic fitting when so disposed within said housing portion. 